It’s two simple words that could save your life.
Don’t Skip.
We’re talking about your mammogram, and there’s no better time to make that all-important appointment than right now for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Why?
- Women who have regular mammograms are nearly 60 percent less likely to die of breast cancer than those who don’t.[1],[2],[3],[4]
- Without screening, the incidence of late-stage breast cancer—when it’s much harder to treat — would be nearly a third higher.[5]
- Ninety-nine percent of women diagnosed at the earliest stage of breast cancer will still be alive five years later compared to just a third of women diagnosed once the cancer has spread.[6]
- For every 1,000 screening mammograms, five breast cancers are detected.[7]
We get it. Not only are there the usual reasons for putting off a mammogram – time, anxiety, fear – but now you have the pandemic to consider. That’s one reason mammograms dropped 94 percent in the months after the virus first appeared[8].
But cancer doesn’t care about COVID-19. That’s why it’s so important that you don’t skip.
Mammography centers are well aware that women are scared (many of us were already scared of mammograms before we ever heard the words “COVID-19”.[9] That’s why they are going above and beyond with precautions, such as seeing patients in separate parts of the hospital; spacing out appointments; limiting the number of people in the waiting room (some centers may ask you to wait in your car and call you when they’re ready); adding disinfecting protocols; and having the staff and patients wear masks. You may even have your temperature taken. Of course, if you have any signs of illness – cough, fever, body aches, lost sense of taste and smell – cancel your appointment![10],[11],[12],[13]
So please. Log onto your computer, pick up your phone. Make that appointment.
Don’t skip.
[1] Paap E, Verbeek AL, Botterweck AA, et al. Breast cancer screening halves the risk of breast cancer death: a case-referent study. Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2014;23(4):439-444. 10.1016/j.breast.2014.03.002.
[2] van Schoor G, Moss SM, Otten JDM, et al. Effective biennial mammographic screening in women aged 40–49. Eur J Cancer. 2010;46(18):3137-3140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2010.09.041.
[3] Weedon-Fekjaer H, Romundstad PR, Vatten LJ. Modern mammography screening and breast cancer mortality: population study. BMJ. 2014;348:g3701. 10.1136/bmj.g3701.
[4] Tabar L, Dean PB, Chen TH, et al. The incidence of fatal breast cancer measures the increased effectiveness of therapy in women participating in mammography screening. Cancer. 2019;125(4):515-523. 10.1002/cncr.31840
[5] Gangnon RE, Sprague BL, Stout NK, et al. The contribution of mammography screening to breast cancer incidence trends in the United States: an updated age-period-cohort model. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2015;24(6):905-912. 10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-14-1286.
[6] American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2019-2020. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, Inc. 2019.
[7] American Cancer Society. Cancer Prevention & Early Detection; Facts & Figures 2019-2020. www.cancer.org › content › dam › cancer-org › research
[8] Robbins, Rebecca. “Routine cancer screenings have plummeted during the pandemic, medical records data show” https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/04/cancer-screenings-drop-coronavirus-pandemic-epic/
[9] Whelehan P, Evans A, Wells M, Macgillivray S. The effect of mammography pain on repeat participation in breast cancer screening: a systematic review. Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2013;22(4):389-394.
[10] Ganz S. Is it safe to go to my doctor’s office? Your questions answered. Philadelphia Inquirer. May 13, 2020. https://www.inquirer.com/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-covid-19-doctors-office-questions-20200513.html
[11] Brabaw K. Is it Safe to Get a Mammogram During COVID-19? Here’s What Ob-Gyns Say. Health. May 28, 2020. https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/is-it-safe-to-get-a-mammogram-during-covid
[12] Canadian Association of Radiologists. Radiology Resumption of Clinical Services. https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2798337-1&h=4004283653&u=http%3A%2F%2Fcar.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F05%2FCAR-Radiology-Resumption-of-Clinical-Services-Report_FINAL.pdf&a=Radiology+Resumption+of+Clinical+Service+Report
[13] Society of Breast Imaging. SBI Recommendations for a Thoughtful Return to Caring for Patients. https://www.sbi-online.org/Portals/0/Position%20Statements/2020/SBI-recommendations-for-a-thoughtful-return-to-caring-for-patients_May-5-2020.pdf.
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